Draft and buffing gear.



1. J. TATUM.

DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 30, 1909.

'a SHEETSSHEET 1.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

1. J. TATUM. DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

APPLICATION 'FILED JULY 30, 1909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

J. 1i TATuM.

DRAFT AND BUFFING GEAR.

KPPLICATION FILED NW 30, I909.

Patented Mar. 28, 1916.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

l H ll W (w I lit 11d atq hets mew ue ties for u.

etta ohmenty J31; TATUM, a es iresidingin the Merlyh d; have my int ention; is the: employill attach the draft gear id e pq eithe i jeft eer e e Compact; nd i so ostahtiel 1 menner, time mete-cli effective fling endl fomdrgtftfto pull msubstanti'a oushioning to demageotog quipment. composed a; drew bar, eckm ziw' inknow Qftlllidllgh the} ouplel shank for a i foue "T mltkjllfth move t forwei dfwithfithe draw bar,-

remains tati nary Or f rward, This way 1 ith bthe draw heme f th intes ine ef hfi fitto slide backward, t The tested by ,the a cross; key; moving, he 1 slot :ot the f ont follower, at

11 s 'with it thejbeck e tres s e it ,stetipnery; compressing the lejfOlloWer with sholilder s to p er bee -i I 3' eemoiir; Joe Betmzmone, MARYLAND] lc at ion filed July so, 1909. =Sei ia1It'o. 510,406.

I w W L Q t l Parts elng in section Fig I View of the yoke orside draft gear cletaoh lower; Fig. 6 is a side elevation of of approved construction. lsechi e to tl e' draft it stop casting is provided witlijelo ferred to.

s s"wellsaopjehmgsfregistering with ep ni draft stop'oasting 5. It Will be notieell I there is a space between the stops 6;on the" iig lstopjlwheli draft is i I r there a 1 forwefd the yoke" I while thel front folopening- 1 7 each end of which registers with thefslot 8 int e cas't11 1g 5 firw d d i I i t l A t 1 ng, the slots in the draft theme and real: f llower, assembled POSItIGIl.

Jiimfm AND Bummer emery."

Specification of Letters Patent. patgntgd lwgw 23,

is a sideelevetion "of the same; Figfifi is w perspective View of one of the. thefts-stop castings detachedyFig. l is it petspeqtive Fig. 5 ise perspective View of the yea-1f the draft arms; Fig* 7 is a perspeetive: of the front follower. I i m e 1 represents the 0211 center sills, 2 the *Qgtl' bolsters?) the endsill and ithe clrefttai ms 'cl raft stop casting 5 provided. ivithlilgsg'fi which project between, the draft arms his gatecl slots 7 and 8, to be hereinafter ge 9is the rear follower and. 10 theiront follower. The rear follower is provided with rooves 11 and the front followex is provi ed; on its inner end i'th a projection of rib 12, in which a slot 13 is formedifl The rib or projection12 fomnss stop whielimis adapted to eontztotwith the stops 6 nonu the step casting 5 which registers with theslot,

13 in the proj ection 1.2 on the followeli "10. The follower 1=Ois provicleclwith 2111 61011- gated slot 14, which, when the followeris in position, registers Withthe slot 7 inzwtheh stop eastirfg 5. The dielit arms l; ereyprovit'led Withelongetecl slots 15 Whiehregister ith thejhlots 7 in the stop casting Senclthe slots M in the front follower 10. .1 i w .9 3 -161is it kley adapted to pass tl'il' oughgthe l slots. in the stop costing-,5, the fronttgh lowerlO andthe, drafterms 4, therebyfeom nesting thelseveral parts together. T is firmly seeureii in position byinee cotter orbthei' suitable. pin-fee rear follower is proviolocl t Wllll'l i it and with elots lfi} in the ti arms 4. l v i V 19 is a key or hm: adapted to pass tl the slots in the rem; of theiihraftsto he whereby the hurts me heltlail ilt m5- 20 is a suit bile-springeushion moiiiited.

' betiwvee the two followers.

21 is a yoke or side draft gear constructed to pass around the rear of the follower block 9 with its arms extending through the grooves 11 in the rear follower, the groove 13 in the front follower and the space between the two stops 6 in the casting 5. This yoke isprovided with elongated slots21 and 22, through which the keys 19 and 16 are adapted to pass respectively, as clearly shown in F i 2.

2 3 is the draft bufiing. stop.

24 is the coupler shank or draw bar.

In addition to the draft bufiing stop 23 I may provide the draft stop casting. with a stop lug 25, which will engage the shoulder on the rear'follower. The front follower 10 isprovided with a recess or receptacle, in whichathe rear end of the draw bar is adaptedto fit, said draw bar being provided with a slot adapted, when in position, to register with the slots in the front follower and through which the key 16 may pass, thus firmly locking the coupler or draw bar to the follower block.

In eration the parts move "as follows: In draft, the cross key moves forward in the slot of the front follower at the same time drawing forward on the yoke 21, which ulls with it the back follower by means 0 the cross key, while the front follower remains stationary, thus compressing the cushion. In bufiing, the back follower with its key re-, mains stationary,'whil'e the front follower is bein forced down upon the spring or cushion y the inward-movement or impact of' the coupler: The stops 6 co-acting with the stop 12 to limit the outward movement of the front follower, but the draw bar, as above stated, has a still further movement after 40 the follower is at rest, byreason of the elongated slots 14. In bufiing, the side yoke, loop or strap remains stationary when in normal position with the key 16 moving inwardly in the elongated slots in the yoke. The key 16 is relieved of considerable strain by reason of the stop 12 on the follower 10 engaging the stop 6. p The draft and bufling gear constructed according to my invention may be readily detached from the car for re airs and without the inconvenience usua 1y incident to such removal. All that is necessary is to remove the cotter pins from the ends. of the I keys 16 and 19 and withdraw the keys from the slotsof the several members constituting the gear, whereupon the entire gear is dropped of its own weight. With-*my gear, I have found that it can be removed and replaced in 59% less ti e andwith 50% less men than the gear 11 w in use, especially that type of gear in which the draw bar is connected to the gear bymeans of bolts. It will, of course, be understood that changes coming within the scope of the in- 65 vention' as defined in the claims may be made in the constructions herein shown without departing from the spirit of my invention.

What I claim is 1. A draft rigging including a front and rear follower, a cross key connected to each of said followers, both keys to move forward with the draft from normal position, and the key connected to the front follower to move backward while the key connected to the rear follower remains stationary in bufling.

2. In a railway draft gear, in combination a draw bar, draft members having keyslots, key stops secured to said draft members, a front follower having key slots, the key extending from the draw bar and slidably connecting the follower to the draw bar, said key also extending into the slots of the draft members the key slots of the follower and 85 draft members being longitudinally extended, whereby-the key may slidably operate in said slots on the forward and rearward movement of the draw-bar, the key on the extreme forward movement of the draw-bar engaging against the forward ends of the slots in the follower and in the draft members, the follower substantially simultaneously engaging the said stops.

3. A draft and buifing gear includin draft arms having elongated slots, dra t stops between the draft arms and having slots coincident with the slots in the draft arms, a front follower having projections to engage said draft stops to limit the forward movement of the follower in draft, a draw bar and a key passing through the draft arms, draft stops, follower and the rear end of the draw bar.

4. A draft and bufling gear includin draft arm's, draft stops, a yoke, front an rear followers, a rigid bufling stop, slots in the arms, stops and followers registering with each other, a draw bar and keys passing through said slots to connect thev fol- 11o lowers and yoke, one of said keys connecting the front follower to the rear end of the draw bar.

5. A draftand 'buflin follower and, a draw bard: draw bar having a forward m ement relativei to the .follower when dra t is being ma e.

6. A draft andbufiin'g gear including a.

gear including a front anda rear. follower having grooves in 1 their side faces and slots extending-from side to side, arms seated in said grooves and connecting said followers, a draw bar, a key. rigidly secured to the rear end of the,..d ra.w bar withv its ends projecting through the 125 slots in the front follower and the arms, a key connected to the rear follower and pro- "jecting through the slots in the said arms.

7. A draft and bufling gear including draft stops, 8. front follower limited in its 130 eyed together, the

forward movement, in draft, by said draft stops, a draft yoke having elongated slots in its forward ends, a draw bar having an elon-' gated slot, and a pin passing through said slots thereby securing said bar, follower, and the front end of the yoke together, said key moving freely in the slot in the said follower while the follower is lockcd against movement by said stops, whereby the draw bar is free to have further forward movement independent of the said follower.

8. In a railway draft rigging, in combination, draft members, stop members forming front and rear stop shoulders secured thereto, a draw-bar, a key, a compression resisting member, and a pair of followers, both of said followers being provided with forwardly extended slotted arms, the key extending from the draw bar and slidably connecting the arms of the followers to the draw bar, the draft members being pro- 1 vided with transverse slots to receive the ends of the key, the slots in the arms of the front follower and in the draft members being longitudinally extended, whereby the key may slidingly operate in said slots on forward and rearward movement of the draw-bar, the key on extreme forward movement of the draw-bar engaging against the forward ends of the slots in the arms of the front follower and in the draft members, the front follower simultaneously engaging the front stop shoulders. v

9. In a cushioned draft gear, sills carrying inwardly projecting abutments, a front follower limited in its forward movement by said abutments and projecting forwardly beyond said abutments and provided with a slot, a slotted draw bar, slotted draft links,

and a single key located within the slot of the draw-bar,-front follower and draft links and connecting them together.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JOHN J. TATUM. Witnesses:

D. ARDIN OAmuoK, MEDFORD L. WEBB.- 

